The invention relates to a connection element for the connecting of electrical leads which are provided in particular for motor vehicles and which in each case comprise a plurality of parallel individual conductors which are connected to a common strip-like carrier.
For the connecting of leads of this kind, which are present for example in the form of flexible printed circuits (FPCs), in which the individual conductors are arranged between two material layers which serve among other things as insulation, it is known to solder the individual conductors of the leads to be connected to one another or to rivet the leads to one another. Connections of this kind can be released again only with difficulty or with damage to the leads. In addition, the production of connections of this kind is complicated and is either not possible or possible only with considerable cost and complexity in conditions of restricted space such as for example present when installing and replacing electrical components in motor vehicles. Furthermore, the replacement of, for example, defective components is problematical with the known connections as a result of their poor releasability.
The problem (object) on which the invention is based is to create a possibility of connecting leads of the initially named kind by means of which a good and enduring electrical contact between the respective individual conductors can be achieved in a simple and economical manner, and in which in particular the connection can be released again with as little cost and complexity as possible.
This object is satisfied by an upper part and a lower part which have in each case at least one clamping surface and which with the clamping surfaces facing one another can be put together in such a manner that in the connected state two overlapping leads with mutually facing contact regions are clamped in between the clamping surfaces.
In accordance with the invention the electrical contacts between the respective individual conductors are produced through clamping in of the leads which lie one above the other in an overlap region between the upper part and the lower part of the connection element. The invention enables the bare ends of the leads to be connected to one another, with the insulation or a material layer respectively, in each case being removed region-wise at the lead ends in the case of the initially mentioned FPCs for the preparation of the contact regions comprising the exposed end sections of the individual conductors. In this way the lead ends need not be provided with special connector elements, so that the invention makes possible an electrical connection without connector elements. In addition no soldering processes or other laborious measures are required since in accordance with the invention the electrical connection is achieved in a purely mechanical way through the exertion of a clamping force. In this way a simple and economical possibility for the connection of strip-like electrical leads is provided with parallel individual conductors, in particular of FPCs.
An advantage of the connection element in accordance with the invention consists in that in accordance with a preferred embodiment it can be designed in such a manner that the upper part and the lower part can be releasably connected, in particular latched, to one another.
In this way the electrical connection between the leads can be simply produced by clipping the upper part and the lower part together, with the upper part and the lower part being designed in dependence on the thickness of the lines to be connected in such a manner that in the latched state a sufficiently large clamping force is exerted on the lines in the overlap region. Through releasing of the latch connection, the original state can be restored, i.e. both the production and the cancellation of the electrical connection between the two lines takes place without damage to the lines. Therefore, the lines are available for further electrical connections by means of a connection element in accordance with the invention. Since damage to the lines is avoided in accordance with the invention, it is not necessary to cut away damaged sections of the lines which are unusable for the production of electrical connections.
In accordance with a further preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention the upper part and the lower part are designed to be identical and at least substantially constructionally alike.
Through this a considerable simplification and cost saving in the mass production and stocking of the connection element in accordance with the invention are achieved. In addition the production of the electrical connections is facilitated since a user need not take care to use two different and fitting components for each connection.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention the clamping surface of the upper part and/or lower part comprises a plurality of individual clamping surfaces which are formed at preferably elastically deformable webs which in the connected state extend in the longitudinal direction of the individual conductors and which are preferably uniformly spaced in the transverse direction, in particular in dependence on the arrangement of the individual conductors of the leads to be connected.
Through this the clamping force can be applied intentionally to the regions of the carrier of the leads which are provided with the individual conductors. Through the provision of elastically deformable webs an ideal transfer of the clamping force to the leads is provided for. Preferably a small number of individual conductors and preferably exactly one individual conductor is associated with each individual clamping surface. Possible irregularities in the leads can be compensated in this way, thereby ensuring a good and enduring electrical connection between the two leads in the region of each individual conductor.
In accordance with a further preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention the webs have preferably approximately in the middle of their longitudinal extent a protrusion which is preferably bent approximately in U-shape and at the apex region of which at least one individual clamping surface is formed. The clamping force which is transmitted by means of the webs is thus in each case concentrated onto an approximately point-like location, whereby a particularly reliable connection between the leads can be produced.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention the leads can be fixed at the upper part and/or lower part in a predetermined relative position.
In this way the lines can be pre-fixed at the upper part and lower part prior to the assembly of the connection element, whereby it is ensured that in the assembly of the connection element the leads are aligned correctly relative to one another and the individual conductors which are to be contacted lie exactly opposite each other as desired in each case.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment, connection sections of the upper part and the lower part are in each case formed as combined latch/plug sections and in particular for the production of at least one plug connection through the leads and at least one latch connection outside the leads.
In this way the connection sections serve both for the connecting of the upper part and the lower part as well as for fixing of the lines. This multiple function of the connection sections permits the production of good and enduring electrical connections between the lines with a simply constructed connection element.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention the clamping surface of the upper part and/or lower part is formed at an insert preferably of metal which is provided as a separate component and which can be fixed in a reception part which preferably consists of plastic.
This two-piece design of the connection element in accordance with the invention enables constructionally alike reception parts to be combined with different inserts so that for different leads, which differ from one another in particular with respect to the number, the separation and/or the width of their individual conductors, only a suitable insert is required and the entire connection element need not be replaced.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention, in the connected state at least one ring-shaped seal, which surrounds the contact regions of the leads, is arranged between the upper part and the lower part. The seal can be arranged in a groove-shaped depression of the upper part or of the lower part respectively andxe2x80x94in a two-piece design of the partsxe2x80x94braced at a reception part or an insert.
The contact regions of the leads are protected by the seal against external influences, in particular against moisture, so that the connection element in accordance with the invention can also be used at regions, e.g. at the doors, of a motor vehicle at which moisture must be anticipated.
The object of the invention also relates to a method for the replacement of electrical components which are in particular provided for motor vehicles, and which are connected to electrical leads which comprise a plurality of parallel individual conductors being connected to a common carrier, in which an existing lead, at which the component to be replaced is connected, is severed at a point, and a lead which is to be connected to the component to be hooked up, is connected to the existing lead at the severing point by means of a connection element in accordance with the invention.
Through this an advantageous repair method is created in particular for electrical systems having a plurality of electrical components provided in motor vehicles, the electrical components being connected via a common strip-like lead to a distributorxe2x80x94in connection with components provided at a vehicle door for example to a door couplingxe2x80x94via which the individual components can be connected to a power supply and to a central control unit. In accordance with the invention a defective component can be replaced simply in that the lead section leading to the relevant component and comprising the corresponding number of individual conductors is cut through at any desired well accessible pointxe2x80x94for example at predetermined, so-called repair windows. Then the new component, which is already connected to a corresponding lead section having the required length, is connected with the help of a connection element executed in accordance with the invention, to the free end of the existing lead which has arisen at the severing point. Through this a replacement of electrical components can take place in principle as often as desired in each case in a simple way and in the shortest time.